Latest news with #Raniaal-Astal
Morocco World
3 days ago
- Health
- Morocco World
Israeli Forces Turn Gaza Aid Sites into ‘Death Traps,' 102 Killed
Rabat – Israeli forces have killed more than 100 Palestinians and injured around 460 in the past eight days while they were trying to get food from aid distribution points in Rafah, southern Gaza, according to Gaza's Government Media Office. Officials and eyewitnesses are accusing Israeli forces of targeting the heads and chests of starving civilians at sites set up to provide humanitarian aid. The aid points were located in western Rafah, a zone previously declared by Israel as a 'safe humanitarian area.' But civil defence teams and witnesses say these locations have turned into 'death traps,' with Israeli forces opening fire on crowds of people trying to collect food. Many of the victims were shot while holding food parcels, including women trying to feed their families, said Al Jazeera correspondent Hind Khoudary. Doctors say most of the injuries were to the head, chest, and upper body, suggesting that people were deliberately targeted. Doctors at the Nasser Hospital said that many of the injured are being treated in intensive care, as the facility is running out of blood units and essential medical supplies. One of the survivors, 30-year-old Rania al-Astal, told AFP that she went with her husband to collect food early in the morning. 'The shooting began around 5 am. Every time people approached Al-Alam roundabout, they were fired upon,' she said. Another witness, 44-year-old Mohammed al-Shaer, said that at first, Israeli soldiers fired into the air, but then they started shooting directly at people. 'A helicopter and quadcopters [drones] started firing at the crowd to prevent them from approaching the tank barrier. There were injuries and deaths,' he added. Israeli attacks on civilians near US-backed aid distribution centers have drawn international condemnation. Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the killing of over 100 Palestinians is deeply concerning. 'Can you imagine someone who is so desperate for food that they are making this trek over a long distance, and the fear that they must have – that they could even be shot or that they may even come back with no food?' Laurence told Al Jazeera. He said that attacking civilians is a grave breach of international law and may be considered a war crime. The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which oversees some of the aid efforts, has not commented on the accusations. However, local officials are calling for urgent international intervention to protect civilians and ensure safe delivery of food and medical aid.
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Health
- Business Recorder
Rescuers say Israeli fire kills at least 27 near Gaza aid point
GAZA CITY: Rescuers said the Israeli military killed at least 27 people near a US-backed aid centre in Gaza on Tuesday, with the army reporting it had fired on 'suspects who advanced toward the troops'. The UN human rights chief condemned such attacks as a 'breach of international law and a war crime', after a similar shooting in the same area on Sunday killed and wounded scores of Palestinians seeking aid, according to the civil defence agency. Tuesday's shooting in the southern city of Rafah came as the agency reported 19 people killed in other Israeli attacks in the territory, and as the Israeli army announced three soldiers had been killed in northern Gaza. 'Twenty-seven people were killed and more than 90 injured in the massacre targeting civilians who were waiting for American aid in the Al-Alam area of Rafah,' said civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal, who earlier told AFP the deaths occurred 'when Israeli forces opened fire with tanks and drones'. Israel kills more than 30 Palestinians gathering aid, IDF denies the reports The Al-Alam roundabout is about a kilometre (a little over half a mile) from a centre run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a recently formed group that Israel has worked with to implement a new aid distribution mechanism in the territory. The United Nations and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the group, saying it contravenes humanitarian principles and appears designed to cater to Israeli military objectives. The military said a crowd was moving towards the aid centre when troops saw them 'deviating from the designated access routes'. 'The troops carried out warning fire, and after the suspects failed to retreat, additional shots were directed near a few individual suspects who advanced toward the troops,' it said, adding it was 'aware of reports regarding casualties' and was looking into the details. Rania al-Astal, 30, said she had gone to the area with her husband to try to get food. 'The shooting began intermittently around 5:00 am. Every time people approached Al-Alam roundabout, they were fired upon,' she told AFP. 'But people didn't care and rushed forward all at once – that's when the army began firing heavily.' 'Unacceptable' Witness Mohammed al-Shaer, 44, said at first 'the Israeli army fired shots into the air, then began shooting directly at the people'. 'A helicopter and quadcopters (drones) started firing at the crowd to prevent them from approaching the tank barrier. There were injuries and deaths,' he told AFP. Gaza aid system under pressure as thousands seek food 'I didn't reach the centre, and we didn't get any food.' The army maintained it was 'not preventing the arrival of Gazan civilians to the humanitarian aid distribution sites'. GHF said the operations at its site went ahead safely on Tuesday, but added it was aware the military was 'investigating whether a number of civilians were injured'. 'This was an area well beyond our secure distribution site and operations area,' it added, advising 'all civilians to remain in the safe corridor when travelling to our distribution sites'. Sunday's shooting also took place at the Al-Alam roundabout as people congregated before heading to the aid centre, rescuers and witnesses said. The civil defence agency reported 31 people killed and 176 wounded. A military source later acknowledged 'warning shots were fired towards several suspects' about a kilometre from the aid site. UN chief Antonio Guterres urged an independent investigation into that shooting, calling it 'unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives for food'. 'Deadly attacks on distraught civilians trying to access the paltry amounts of food aid in Gaza are unconscionable,' UN human rights chief Volker Turk said after Tuesday's deaths. 'Attacks directed against civilians constitute a grave breach of international law and a war crime.' Soldiers killed Israel has come under mounting pressure to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, where people are facing severe shortages after Israel imposed a more than two-month blockade on supplies. The blockade was recently eased, but the aid community has urged Israel to allow in more food, faster. The US-backed GHF has opened a handful of aid distribution centres in southern and central Gaza, and says it has distributed more than seven million meals' worth of food. The Israeli army said three of its soldiers had been killed in combat in northern Gaza, bringing the number of Israeli troops killed in the territory since the start of the conflict to 424. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says at least 4,240 people have been killed in the territory since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, taking the war's overall toll to 54,510,mostly civilians.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
Rescuers say Israeli fire kills at least 27 near Gaza aid point
GAZA CITY: Rescuers said the Israeli military killed at least 27 people near a US-backed aid centre in Gaza on Tuesday, with the army reporting it had fired on 'suspects who advanced toward the troops'. The UN human rights chief condemned such attacks as a 'breach of international law and a war crime', after a similar shooting in the same area of southern Gaza on Sunday killed and wounded scores of Palestinians seeking aid, according to the civil defence agency. Tuesday's shooting in the southern city of Rafah came as the agency reported 19 killed in other Israeli attacks in the territory, and as the Israeli army announced three soldiers had been killed in northern Gaza. 'Twenty-seven people were killed and more than 90 injured in the massacre targeting civilians who were waiting for American aid in the Al-Alam area of Rafah,' said civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal, who earlier told AFP the deaths occurred 'when Israeli forces opened fire with tanks and drones'. The Al-Alam roundabout is about a kilometre (a little over half a mile) from an aid centre run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a recently formed group that Israel has worked with to implement a new aid distribution mechanism in the territory. The United Nations and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the group, saying it contravenes humanitarian principles and appears designed to cater to Israeli military objectives. The military said a crowd was moving towards the aid centre when troops saw them 'deviating from the designated access routes'. 'The troops carried out warning fire, and after the suspects failed to retreat, additional shots were directed near a few individual suspects who advanced toward the troops,' it said, adding it was 'aware of reports regarding casualties' and was looking into the details. Rania al-Astal, 30, said she had gone to the area with her husband to try to get food. 'The shooting began intermittently around 5:00 am. Every time people approached Al-Alam roundabout, they were fired upon,' she told AFP. 'But people didn't care and rushed forward all at once -- that's when the army began firing heavily.' - 'Unacceptable' - Mohammed al-Shaer, 44, said the crowd had just set off towards the aid centre when 'suddenly, the Israeli army fired shots into the air, then began shooting directly at the people'. 'A helicopter and quadcopters (drones) started firing at the crowd to prevent them from approaching the tank barrier. There were injuries and deaths,' he told AFP. 'I didn't reach the centre, and we didn't get any food.' The army maintained it was 'not preventing the arrival of Gazan civilians to the humanitarian aid distribution sites'. GHF said the operations at its site went ahead safely on Tuesday, but added it was aware the military was 'investigating whether a number of civilians were injured after moving beyond the designated safe corridor'. 'This was an area well beyond our secure distribution site and operations area,' it added, advising 'all civilians to remain in the safe corridor when travelling to our distribution sites'. The shooting on Sunday had also taken place at the Al-Alam roundabout as people congregated before heading to the aid centre, rescuers and witnesses said. The civil defence agency reported 31 people killed and 176 wounded. Afterwards, the army denied firing at people 'while they were near or within' the aid centre. But a military source acknowledged 'warning shots were fired towards several suspects' about a kilometre from the site. UN chief Antonio Guterres urged an independent investigation into that shooting, calling it 'unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives for food'. 'Deadly attacks on distraught civilians trying to access the paltry amounts of food aid in Gaza are unconscionable,' UN human rights chief Volker Turk said after Tuesday's deaths. 'Attacks directed against civilians constitute a grave breach of international law and a war crime.' - Soldiers killed - Israel has come under mounting pressure to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, where people are facing severe shortages of food and other essentials after Israel imposed a more than two-month blockade on supplies. The blockade was recently eased, but the aid community has urged Israel to allow in more food, faster. The US-backed GHF has recently opened a handful of aid distribution centres in southern and central Gaza, and says it has distributed more than seven million meals' worth of food. Israel has recently stepped up its offensive in what it says is a renewed push to defeat Hamas, whose October 2023 attack on Israel sparked the war. The Israeli army said Tuesday that three of its soldiers had been killed during combat in northern Gaza, bringing the number of Israeli troops killed in the Palestinian territory since the start of the conflict to 424. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says at least 4,201 people have been killed in the territory since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, taking the war's overall toll to 54,470, mostly civilians. Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, also mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
The Journal
3 days ago
- The Journal
At least 24 people killed as Israeli troops open fire near aid distribution point in Gaza
THE ISRAELI MILITARY has killed at least 24 people who had gathered to collect food from an Israeli and US-backed aid agency in Gaza, according to the Palestinian territory's health ministry. It is the latest in a series of fatal incidents at aid distribution centres run by the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private organisation that the UN and NGOs in Gaza have refused to deal with. The director general of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis said that 24 people have been killed and 37 wounded 'as a result of Israeli forces opening fire on crowds of civilians' waiting for aid at a roundabout near Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip. Most of those who arrived at the hospital had suffered gunshot wounds, the director said. The Israeli army has said its troops fired on 'suspects' who moved towards them. Last Tuesday, one person was killed and another 48 were injured , mostly by Israeli gunfire, at another aid distribution hub run by the GHF. On Thursday, four people were killed when a crowd of desperate people stormed a UN World Food Programme warehouse. Over the weekend, 31 people were killed by Israeli fire while waiting for food from the GHF near Rafah, according to the civil defence agency. In the Gaza Strip, aid is only trickling in after Israel partially lifted a more than two-month total blockade, and the United Nations has reported looting of its trucks and warehouses. The Israeli military (IDF) has said this morning that its troops 'carried out warning fire' after that 'identified several suspects moving toward them, deviating from the designated routes'. 'After the suspects failed to retreat, additional shots were directed near individual suspects who advanced toward the troops,' the military said on X, adding that reports of casualties 'are being looked into'. Advertisement 'IDF troops are not preventing the arrival of Gazan civilians to the humanitarian aid distribution sites. The warning shots were fired approximately half a kilometre away from the humanitarian aid distribution site toward several suspects who advanced toward the troops in such a way that posed a threat to them.' Rania al-Astal, 30, said she had gone with her husband to try to get food. 'The shooting began intermittently around 5 am. Every time people approached Al-Alam roundabout, they were fired upon,' she told the AFP news agency. 'But people didn't care and rushed forward all at once – that's when the army began firing heavily.' Mohammed al-Shaer, 44, who was also at the scene, said the crowd had just set off towards the aid centre when 'suddenly, the Israeli army fired shots into the air, then began shooting directly at the people'. 'A helicopter and quadcopters (drones) started firing at the crowd to prevent them from approaching the tank barrier. There were injuries and deaths,' he told AFP. 'I didn't reach the centre, and we didn't get any food.' The GHF said operations at its site went ahead safely this morning, but added it was aware the military 'is investigating whether a number of civilians were injured after moving beyond the designated safe corridor and into a closed military zone'. 'This was an area well beyond our secure distribution site and operations area,' it added, advising 'all civilians to remain in the safe corridor when travelling to our distribution sites'. Yesterday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an independent investigation into the killings at the weekend. 'I am appalled by the reports of Palestinians killed and injured while seeking aid in Gaza yesterday. It is unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives for food,' Guterres said in a statement. 'I call for an immediate and independent investigation into these events and for perpetrators to be held accountable.' With reporting from AFP Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Al-Ahram Weekly
3 days ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Israel opens fire again near Gaza aid point killing at least 15 Palestinians - War on Gaza
The Israeli occupation army killed at least 15 people on Tuesday in southern Gaza near a US-backed aid centre, rescuers said. The shooting was similar to one Sunday morning in which scores of people were killed and wounded at the same location, with witnesses saying they had been on their way to collect aid. "At least 15 people were killed and dozens wounded... when Israeli forces opened fire with tanks and drones on thousands of civilians who had gathered since dawn near the Al-Alam roundabout in the Al-Mawasi area, northwest of Rafah," said civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal. The roundabout is about a kilometre from an aid centre run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a recently formed group that Israel has cooperated with to implement a new aid distribution mechanism in the territory, aimed at bypassing UN agencies that have long coordinated humanitarian relief in Gaza. Rania al-Astal, 30, said she had gone with her husband to try to get food. "The shooting began intermittently around 5:00 am. Every time people approached Al-Alam roundabout, they were fired upon," she told AFP. "But people didn't care and rushed forward all at once -- that's when the army began firing heavily." 'Unacceptable' Mohammed al-Shaer, 44, who was also at the scene, said the crowd had just set off towards the aid centre when "suddenly, the Israeli army fired shots into the air, then began shooting directly at the people". "A helicopter and quadcopters (drones) started firing at the crowd to prevent them from approaching the tank barrier. There were injuries and deaths," he told AFP. "I didn't reach the centre, and we didn't get any food." Sunday's shooting also took place at the Al-Alam roundabout as people gathered before heading to the aid centre, rescuers and witnesses said, with the civil defence reporting 31 people killed and 176 wounded. Afterwards, the army denied firing at people "while they were near or within" the aid site. But a military source acknowledged "warning shots were fired towards several suspects" about a kilometre away. UN chief Antonio Guterres called for an independent investigation into that shooting, calling it "unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives for food". Soldiers killed Israel has come under mounting pressure to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, where people are facing severe shortages of food and other essentials after Israel imposed a more than two-month blockade on all supplies. The blockade was recently eased, but the aid community has urged Israeli to allow in more food, faster. The US-backed GHF has recently opened four aid distribution centres in southern and central Gaza, and says it has distributed more than seven million meals' worth of food. However, the United Nations and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with it, saying it contravenes humanitarian principles and appears designed to cater to Israeli military objectives. Israel has, in March, stepped up its genocidal war on Gaza, breaking the short truce. The Israeli occupation army said Tuesday that three of its soldiers had been killed in the territory's north, bringing the number of Israeli troops killed in the Palestinian territory since the start of the war to 424. Israeli soldiers have killed at least 4,201 people in Gaza since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, taking the war's overall toll to 54,470, mostly women and children. *This story was edited by Ahram Online Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
